gazza ladra

Newcastle United Nottingham Forest West Brom Cardiff I think West Brom will lose the playoff. Just because.

Realistically, I think that Hughton will be the manager next season. And I don't think that will be a bad thing. NUFC really needs stability. We've done nothing but burn through managers since SBR was sacked. Has anyone served a full season since Robson? That lack of stability-- not the lack of success--- has been at the root of a lot of our problems. I think it's alienated veterans (Given) undermined the development of younger players (N'Zogbia, Milner), made it difficult for foreigners to settle (Enrique), and generally undermined the team's efforts. So I'd like to see Hughton stay on for a couple of seasons. Even if it means that we're a middling club for a time. And I think Hughton will do reasonably well. I did not expect us to be leading the Championship and I think Hughton's accomplishment is being underestimated and underappreciated. If we are promoted and we struggle-- if we are in a relegation struggle come next January. Then, yes, he should be replaced. No question. But I do not think that will the case. This time next year, I'd expect the club to be in the middle of the table-- by no means "safe", but not really in danger. Keeping the same management in place for back-to-back seasons will be a major step forward. Having said that, I hope the club will be purchased by new owners,who have big dreams and, more importantly, a plan, and thata they''ll bring in their own man--someone they are prepared to to stick with for the long term. If the club gets new ownership I'd hope they'd be wise enough to hire someone they have faith in right from the start rather than sticking with someone that they don't fully support à la Ashley/Allardyce. We need to get out of crisis mode.

Snodgrasso. There. Fixed.

http://sport.scotsman.com/under20worldcup/Snodgrass-aims-to-put-Barcelona.3298548.jp

If you glance at his goals scored, it's a reasonable assumption.

Thank you CaliMag, The whole revisionist spirit was getting way out of hand around here. Apologists for Milner, Parker, Bowyer, N'Zogbia, Cacapa all coming out of the wood work (I'm guilty on one account myself). But never, never in a thousand years would I have thought I'd read posters defending Stephen Carr. He was rubbish. And while I'm usually game for gratutiuous potshots at Souness and Roeder, let's not rewrite history.

We'd be fucked if Colo, Taylor, or Enrique went down.

Said that a while back and got laughed at. It's becoming blatantly obvious with the right man in charge. An injury to Rooney and they could fall out of the top four.

Most definitely.

No, it isn't. It's a good tournament to watch. The timing is a joke. It's been going for more than 50 years, at the same time of the year every 2 years. It's only become a problem recently cos it effects Premiership clubs, why should they change the dates of it to suit the leagues? Absolutely.

Well they they can turn around and sell him to Manchester City for stupid money in two years time.

Apparently, Boyd wants to join us. Or, so it says here. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/jan/07/kris-boyd-rangers-transfer-window £3M seems to be a bit much for Beckford.

Ok, so I'm off the main issue. Sorry. My post was initially prompted to someone writing something to the effect that "other countries are laughing at us (England)" in regards to the cancellation of the matches. Which I don't think is true in the least. If anything, I'd imagine them to be non-plussed at the FA schduling matches right through the holiday season-- weather be damned. Surely, safety and transportation concerns are part of the reason that snow-bound matches are avoided elsewhere in Europe. Not to mention the loss in revenue that follows from the low attendence of those matches. Of course in the United States, they just built large indoor domed stadiums in the north and south to eliminate all concerns about poor weather -- cold or heat-- and public safety (and attendence).

Yes, in North America they do play (American) football in the snow. But they do not play soccer. Big difference. Like many of the colder regions of the world (Scandinavia, Russia), the North Americans schedule their season around the snows of winter--- this goes way back to the days of the NAFBL (fifty odd years before the NASL by the way). The Germans at least have the good sense to take a winter break.

He started plenty...... at left back.

Good shout.

Telegraph feature lists "best buys" in 2009 for Premiership clubs. Five former NUFC players make the list: Bowyer, Duff, Bellamy, Bassong, and N'Zogbia. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/6916859/Premier-League-transfers-complete-club-by-club-guide-for-the-January-window.html

Were I a fan of any other club, I think I would find Bowyer vs. Dyer hilarious.

1) BEST TOON DEFENDER FROM THE LAST DECADE: Woodgate 2) BEST MIDFIELDER: Robert 3) BEST STRIKER: Shearer 4) BEST OVERALL PLAYER: Given 5) BEST MANAGER: SBR 6) MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER: Owen, Kluivert, Viana, Duff, Emre, Barton 7) WE SHOULD HAVE SIGNED...: Anelka 8) WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE LET GO...: Woodgate, Parker, Solano, Speed, Bellamy, Faye, Le Sib 9) BEST HOME GAME: Manchester United 10) BEST AWAY / NEUTRAL GAME: Sunderland 11) WORST GAME: Partizan, Birmingham, Aston Villa 12) BEST GOAL SCORED: Chopra vs. Sunderland, Martins vs. Spurs, Solano vs. Everton (?) 13) WORST GOAL CONCEDED 15) BEST HAIRCUT: :colo: 16) WORST HAIRCUT: :colo: 17) BEST LOOKING PLAYER: Viana 18) UGLIEST PLAYER: Milner, Bowyer, O'Brien 19) DIRTIEST PLAYER: Shearer 20) BEST STARTING XI OF THE DECADE: Beye, Woodgate, Faye, Enrique, Solano, Speed, Dyer, Robert, Shearer, Bellamy 21) PREDICTIONS FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS - MORE /LESS / EQUALLY SUCCESSFUL: Less Successful 22) IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING FROM THE LAST DECADE: Firing SBR

Was quite happy with the starting 11, but the end result sounds really dour. We really need some creativity in midfield.

Ottmar Hitzfield?

Is this the youtube vid? My name is Dennis. Looks like something some agents put up. Comments disabled.

The hiring of Keegan and subsequent hiring of Shearer were cynical moves on the part of Ashley and co. to buy the support of the fans on the cheap. The whole DOF scheme was just another PR fraud. Let's have some stability.... a new owner, win promotion and then we can start to dreaming big again.

Sweet jesus x2